Banana-case.



P'ATBNTED D50; 3, 1907.

w. BELL. BANANA CASE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 21. 1907.

Wiinessgs.

gether and 7 are hinges joining the half bands WILLIAM BELL, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

- BANANA-CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

Application filed January 21, 1907. Serial No. 353 .316.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, WILLIAM BELL, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of 187 McGill street, in the city of Montreal, in the District of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec, in the Dominion of Canada, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Banana-Cases, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in banana cases, and the object of the invention is to protect the fruit from damage incident to climatic conditions and to handling, particularly during the transport of the said fruit by boat or rail, and it consists essentially of a skeleton frame formed in parts suitably hinged'together and a lining secured in said frame and adapted to draw together at the top and the bottom to close the ends of the case, the various partsbeing de-. scribed in detail in the present specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings that form part of the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the banana case open and in readinessto receive a bunch of bananas. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the case containing a bunch of bananas. Fig. 3 is the perspective view of the banana case closed and in its upright position. Fig'. 4 is a cross section of the case.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

1 are the up-rights of the skeleton frame terminating at their lower ends in the feet 2, from which extend inwardly the arms 3.

4 are half bands secured to the uprights 1 at the top ends thereof, the said uprights being off-set inwardly at the said upper ends where they adjoin the said half bands. 5 are half bands secured to the said uprights 1 towards the lower ends thereof, each of the said uprights having an inward bend to meet said band, where it is joined thereto.

6 are hinges joining the half bands 4 to- 5 together and consequently securing the two halves of the skeleton frame formed by the bands and uprights together in such a manner so that the case may be opened on its hinges.

8 are slots through one of the free ends of each of the bands 4 and 5, and 9 are pivoted buttons at the other free ends adapted in the closed position of the skeleton frame to lock in the slots 8 thus securelyholding the two i halves of the frame together on the one side, while the hinges hold it on the other diametrically opposite thereto;

The skeleton frame is preferably of light steel construction though it must be understood that any suitable material may be used.

10 and 11 are disks, the disk 10 being secured to two of the arms 3 from the one'half .of the frame and the disk 11 being secured to the other two of the arms 3 from the other half of the frame. The disk 10 slides over the disk 11 in its closed position.

12 is a lininghere shown as formed of two layers or pieces 13 and 14 of cloth, said layers having a padding 15 therebetween, the said layers or pieces and said padding are sewed together as usual in quilting. The lining 12 is securely attached to the bands 4 and 5 inside of the skeleton frame, the lower end of said lining being drawn in and brought between the half rings 16 and 17 and the disks 10 and 11 respectively and firmly secured therebetw'een by the rivets 18. The lining 12 at the upper end is drawn together by a draw string 19 inserted through suitable rings or eyes towards the said upper end. The lining 12 is centrally and longitudinally split in a line with the open ends of the half bands 4 and 5, so that when the skeleton frame is opened up, the said lining will separate and permit the. opening of the case.

20 is a belt encircling the lining 12 inside the uprights 1 about mid-way the, height of the case. The belt 20 buckles around the lining of said case and is adjustably ar ranged as regards the length required.

In the utilization of this case for shipping A purposes, the case is opened as shown in Fig. 1 and a bunchof bananas inserted therein. The open ends of the bands are then brought together and the buttons 9 inserted through the slots 8 and turned. The case thus fastened incloses the bunch of bananas. The bottom of the case formed of the disks 10 and 11 closes with the fastening of the bands together. The disk 10 slides over the disk 11 and closes the lining at the bottom end. The top end is then either laced or drawn together by the draw string 19, which completely incloses the bunch of bananas in the case. Finally the belt is buckled inside of the uprights around the bunch of bananas, so that the said bananas are firmly held in the lining-12 and thus free from any liability to damage from knocking about. 7

' The description is herein confined to a skeleton frame made in halves, but it must be understood that the frame may be formed of uneven sections and not necessarily divided into even parts, also the lining may be arranged differently and be made of other material than described.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A banana ease, comprising split end rings having their portions hingedt'ogether and fastening means secured to their free ends and longitudinal bars joining said end rings, and a lining extending beyond said rings at each end thereof and padded throughout to the full extent of the inclosing portion and having unpadded strips at the ends thereof drawn in and suitably fastened, and means intermediate of its length for gathering said padded portion about the. bunch of bananas and holding it securely thereto, substantially as described.

2. A banana case, comprising a skeleton frame in two parts formed of uprights having feet at the lower end thereof and arms extending inwardly above said feet and sections of bands hinged together at one end and having fastenings at the free ends, a pair of disks secured respectively to the arms at the lower ends of said uprights, quilted linings secured to said bands and drawn in at the lower end to said disks, and means for drawing said lining together at the upper end, substantially as described.

3. A banana case, comprising a skeleton frame divided vertically into parts, said parts being hinged together and formed of upright parts standing on feet from which arms extend inwardly, said uprights having inward bends at the top ends and toward the lower ends, and bands in parts secured to said uprights at said bends and hinged together to join the parts of the frame, apair of disks rigidly secured to the inwardly extending arms from said; uprights, a quilted lining secured to said bands and drawn inwardly at the lower end and secured to said disks, means for drawing the upper end of said lining together, and a belt adjustable as to length encircling said lining inside of said uprights, substantially as described.

Signed at the city of Montreal, in the District of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec,

in the Dominion of Canada, this 18th day of January, 1907.

' WILLIAM BELL.

Witnesses:

LLOYD BLACKMORE, W. T. Curr QUIN. 

